Are you interested in becoming a certified sewage enforcement officer (SEO) in Pennsylvania?   Whether you’re starting out on a new career, looking to add a new professional designation, or seeking a better understanding of Pennsylvania’s onsite wastewater program, PASEO is here to help you gain and maintain your SEO certification!  Read about the steps to SEO certification below.  See the bottom of this page for Precertification Academy registration options.

You should start your professional journey by familiarizing yourself with the PA DEP SEO Certification and Training Program Guidance (385-2314-002) (Effective December 12, 2020).  You should also view the short introduction about SEO Precertification Pathways on PADEP’s Clean Water Academy (CWA) which will quickly explain available learning options.

BECOMING AN SEO…

First, visit PA DEP’s Clean Water Academy (CWA) and complete an SEO CANDIDATE REQUEST FORM.  Once created, your Clean Water Academy account will provide you with access to SEO precertification and informational courses for becoming and maintaining your SEO Certification.  This platform provides on-line and in-class courses for programs within the Bureau of Clean Water.   All DEP approved training for SEOs can be accessed from the CWA. The CWA houses the SEO database where SEOs can check the status of their certification, their total credits, and their historical record of learning.  SEOs will also be able to renew their certification on-line.

Second, complete the PRECERTIFICATION SOILS COURSE (for SEO Candidates).  Once your SEO Candidate account has been created in PA DEP’s Clean Water Academy, you will be able to view when/where the necessary pre-requisite soils course is being offered.  Please note that this soils course is not offered by PASEO but another third-party trainer (SoilHub).  This required course will provide instruction on basic principles of soil science and evaluating and describing soil profiles in the field to  determine suitability for wastewater effluent renovation. The course includes online learning modules as well as hands-on field training with soil scientists. Describing soil properties and identifying limitations to wastewater effluent renovation are critical skills all SEOs need to have to properly site onsite absorption areas. The target audience for this course is SEO Candidates.  The total cost for this course (as of 2026) is $550.  Interested parties can register for the course through their Clean Water Academy account (be sure you are logged into your CWA account).  The current listing (as of Dec 2025) for Precertification Soils Course (for SEO Candidates) offerings includes:  April 8-9, 2026 at  Green Lake Park – Montgomery Co; and, Jun 3-4, 2026 at Bloomsburg University.  A third Soils Course is tenatively being planned for the September/October timeframe (all subject to change — verify availability in CWA).

Third, complete the in-person SEO PRECERTIFICATION ACADEMY offered by PASEO.  This is a week-long classroom course taught by experienced onsite wastewater professionals and offered at different times of the year.  There is also course pre-work that must be completed by students at home prior to arriving for the classroom portion of the Academy.  We attempt to make the Academy more accessible to aspiring SEOs by moving the location of the Pre-Certification Academy around the state throughout the year (e.g., Eastern PA, Centeral PA, Western PA). This course is designed to provide the basic skills and knowledge a future SEO needs to work for a local agency, and to prepare the SEO for permitting on-lot sewage disposal systems in a municipality. An SEO candidate must successfully complete the SEO Precertification Academy before sitting for the SEO certification exam. This DEP-approved training course covers 25 Pa. Code Chapters 71, 72 and 73. The training focuses on teaching the basic skills necessary for an individual to perform as an SEO. At a minimum, the training will cover: slope determination, isolation distances, soil probe evaluations, soil surveys, site evaluations, site testing, daily flow calculations, percolation testing, sewage system selection, building sewers, treatment tanks, distribution systems, absorption area construction, system installation, final system inspections, sewage facilities planning, administration, and system malfunctions and repairs.  The total cost for this course (as of 2026) is $825 and includes light breakfasts & lunches each day.  Successful completion of the Precertification Soils Course is a prerequiste for attending the PASEO Academy. View PASEO’s upcoming in-person Pre-Certification Academy offerings below and register through PASEO’s website (not the CWA).  **REGISTRATION FOR PASEO’s PRECERTIFICATION ACADEMIES WILL OPEN IN MID-JANUARY**

Finally, successfully pass the SEO CERTIFICATION EXAM administered by PA DEP’s State Board of Certification of SEOs.  An SEO candidate must have successfully completed all DEP-approved precertification training courses (i.e., the Soils Course & the Academy) before taking the SEO certification exam. Proof in the form of a certificate of completion is necessary.  The exam requires a registration separate from the Precertification Academy registration — registration for the Academy does not automatically register you for the exam.  SEO Candidates should register for the exam via their CWA account.  The application fee (as of 2025) is $25.  **SEO TEST DATES/LOCATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE CWA WEBSITE ONCE THEY BECOME AVAILABLE**

PASEO’s 2026 SEO PRE-CERTIFICATION ACADEMY SCHEDULE & REGISTRATION

August 31 – September 4, 2026 – Beaver County
Beaver County Conservation District
156 Cowpath Rd
Aliquippa, PA 15001
(registration closes 8/24)

October 26 – October 30, 2026 – York County
York County 4-H Center
771 Stoverstown Rd
York, PA 17408
(registration closes 10/19)

Where possible, PASEO also offers a full day Academy Refresher Class and a half day Academy Test Prep Class on the respective Thursday & Friday during a scheduled Academy.  These classes are not substitutes for the full Academy.  They are designed to help SEOs who have already previously attended an Academy and are registered to take or re-take the certification test.  View each class’s full description in their product details below (if available).

Refund Policy:  If you must cancel your Academy registration, notify PASEO in writing at admin@pa-seo.org.  For cancellations made prior to the registration deadline, you will receive a full refund (minus $25 administrative fee).  For cancellations occurring after the registration deadline up until the Academy start date, you can choose between receiving a 50% refund or a full credit to attend a different PASEO Academy (held within twelve months).  No refunds are offered after the Academy start date.

Select your desired Academy below for more details & to register online:
(Registration opens in mid January 2026)